


A broken ride

by MissCrazyWriter321



Series: Strangers [4]
Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Family, Gen, Grieving, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:29:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25683571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissCrazyWriter321/pseuds/MissCrazyWriter321
Summary: Set during "I know you won't care," Garcia Flynn goes to pay respect to his family and ends up acquiring an accomplice.-“A time machine.” To his credit, Stiv doesn’t laugh, though that may just be out of pure shock. “You want to wage war against these rich, powerful, connected people with… A time machine. You’re right, that does sound crazy.”
Relationships: Stiv Casey & Garcia Flynn
Series: Strangers [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1332799
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	A broken ride

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Elisexyz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elisexyz/gifts).



> I sent this to Ely ages ago, but just never got around to posting it. Now, with Friends and Family August happening on Tumblr, I thought I'd go ahead and share. In fairness, this has several mentions of past romances-Garcia and Lorena, of course, as well as a surprise at the end-but it's really focused on the fact that Stiv and Garcia are family.

He doesn't have much time.

It's dangerous to be here at all, but he can't stay away. Whatever happens, he won't be safe for a long time; this might be his last chance to say goodbye. 

Flowers lay on the gravestones, slowly wilting, and he absently notes that they look a day or two old. Someone's visiting regularly, then. Good. They deserve that. 

He kneels to place his own flowers on the ground, but finds he lacks the strength to stand back up. The unfairness of it all is unbearable, and he closes his eyes. They deserved better than this. Better than him. He let Rittenhouse get close, let them frame him, and didn't even come to the funeral.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, hardly able to push the words past his throat. "I wanted to come. But the police say I did this. They must have told your family. I couldn't-" He almost makes some excuse about not being able to risk the cops finding him, but that isn't the only reason he stayed away. If nothing else, he refuses to lie to them. "I couldn't look your parents in the eyes knowing that they thought I killed you. Killed Iris. I was… A coward. I'm sorry." 

So very sorry. 

Even if he'd been able to convince them he hadn't pulled the trigger, it would still be his fault. He got them killed. That's on him now.

"They'd understand." 

He scrambles to his feet, panic shooting through him. For one brief terrifying second, he thinks Rittenhouse has found him. Then, he places the face, the voice, and he almost wishes they had. 

"Stiv, please-" His voice breaks, but he keeps going, desperate to get the words out before it's too late. "I promise you, I didn't kill them. I don't-I don't expect you to believe me, but it wasn't me. I loved them. I loved them, and I never-I would never-" 

He trails off, bowing his head slightly. Any second now, Stiv will come to his senses and-well. He isn't quite sure what'll happen. Whether he calls the police or attacks on his own, Garcia won't resist. He won't risk hurting Lorena's brother. 

"I believe you." 

The words take a few seconds to register. "You do?" 

Stiv shrugs, as if it's the simplest thing in the world. "You loved them, man. I know you'd never hurt them." 

And it's true, of course it is, but hearing it said aloud nearly breaks him. Against all odds, Stiv believes him. 

"Thank you." 

A short nod. "Have any idea who did?" 

He hesitates. As soon as someone knows about Rittenhouse, they’re in danger, and the thought of risking one of the few relatives he has left just to give himself some peace of mind is unbearable. But he recognizes that look on Stiv’s face; if he doesn’t tell him, Stiv will just dig into it himself. "Yes," he admits finally. 

"What's the plan?" 

“Plan?” He shakes his head. “The plan is to grieve, and somehow, to try to find a way to keep going.” 

It sounds pretty convincing in his head, but judging by Stiv’s expression, it really isn’t. “I know you, Gar. You’re not gonna let these people, whoever they are, get away with taking our girls from us. You’ve got a plan, and I want in.”

Backup sounds nice, but he knows exactly how his story will come off: The ramblings of a madman, so broken by his family’s deaths that he’s chasing fairytales. 

Maybe that’s exactly what he is.

“It’s going to sound crazy,” he warns.

Stiv doesn’t bat an eye. “Then I definitely want in.”

Well then. “These people, they’re, ah… Connected. Very well-connected.” That’s one thing the journal has made clear. “Power. Resources. Money.” The thought flickers through his mind that, even if the journal is real, he likely doesn’t stand a chance against these monsters. Fiercely, he pushes it away. “They fund lots of different projects, and I don’t know what all of them are, but one of them….” He swallows. “Is a time machine.”

“A time machine.” To his credit, Stiv doesn’t laugh, though that may just be out of pure shock. “You want to wage war against these rich, powerful, connected people with… A time machine. You’re right, that does sound crazy.”

“I know,” he admits. “But if there’s even a chance it’s real, we have to take it. We could save them. Put them back on this earth, and burn Rittenhouse to the ground in the process.”

“Rittenhouse?” Stiv echoes. “I don’t even-where do I start?” He takes a deep breath, steadying himself. “Okay, look, even if they do have a time machine- _ big if- _ why would they tell you about it? How do you know about it at all?”

Even now, the memories that question brings up are almost too much, and he swallows back the suffocating betrayal, willing himself to keep his voice even. “I have a-had a friend. Thought I did. Turns out, she was one of them.” He shrugs, but it’s a poor attempt at feigning indifference. “She gave me her journal, and she’s going to help me access the machine.” 

A deafening pause. 

Stiv closes his eyes. The muscles in his throat tighten and contract, and he taps his fingers very deliberately at his sides. “... Garcia.”

He winces. “Yes?”

“Your plan-” He enunciates each word carefully. “Is to follow the journal of one of the people responsible for-”

“She didn’t know,” Garcia protests on instinct. Then he shakes his head. Why is he defending her? “Said she didn’t, anyway. Besides, if there’s even a possibility-”

Stiv only talks louder. “And go to-I assume one of their facilities?” 

Of course  _ now  _ he stops to let Garcia speak. 

“Yes,” he admits reluctantly. “Mason Industries.”

This briefly derails Stiv-the gears in his head are practically visible as they process this new bit of information-but he rallies and continues. “And steal a time machine?” 

There’s not really much he can say to that, so he simply nods.

Stiv fixes him with a stare. “You realize it’s a trap, right? You show up there, they’ll kill you.”

“Maybe.” He’s well aware that’s the most likely ending for this. But what’s the alternative? To live the rest of his life wondering if he maybe could have saved them? To not take every chance, no matter how miniscule, to rescue his wife and child? “I have to do it." 

"Do you trust her? This… Person inside Rittenhouse." Stiv gestures for emphasis. "Do you trust her?" 

Even now, part of him wants to say yes. Part of him can still see her sitting as his dining room table, laughing at some cheesy joke Lorena made at his expense, and that part of him cannot imagine ever doubting her. 

That part of him signed his family's death warrants. 

"She's coming with me." It isn't quite an answer, but it's all he has. "To Mason’s. If she betrays me, I'll kill her." He shouldn’t feel sick at the thought. 

Stiv considers this for a long time, before nodding. “Alright, then. When do we leave?”

Garcia blinks. Surely he must have misheard him. "You're coming? You think it's a death trap." 

A shrug. "It's definitely a death trap. You think I'm gonna let you walk in there alone?" 

_ Alone. _ The way he’s been for nearly every waking moment since that horrible night. In spite of his wish to keep Stiv safe, he finds himself nodding, fighting tears. "Thank you." 

Stiv shrugs, a little awkwardly. "Hey, when you married Lore, I told you that you were stuck with me now. I meant that. Still do." He pats Garcia’s shoulder. “But we’re going to need some help.” 

It’s not like Garcia hasn’t considered that, but if the wrong people find out, he’ll be dead before this ever starts. He cannot risk his family’s one chance at safety, at life. Not for anything. “I just don’t know who I can trust,” he admits.

Stiv hums. “There is someone I know,” he says carefully. “Skilled. Dangerous. Smart. And I’d trust him with my life.”

“Who?”

“Karl.”

At first, the word doesn’t register. It’s just sound, noises strung together in a random order. Then, it clicks. “Karl? You want to bring Lorena’s ex-who probably believes that I killed her-” His voice catches at the end, and he swallows. “Into this mess?” 

Stiv holds up his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying, I trust him. And I can convince him that you didn’t do it.” He considers. “Probably.” Well, that’s reassuring. “Look, the point is, we’ll need all the help we can get. And I think Karl would rather break his own arm off than hurt Lorena. Just like you would. You’re the boss, but…”

He makes a good point, unfortunately. Garcia sighs, rubbing his forehead. “Fine. If you can get him onboard… Fine. But this has to happen fast.”

“Of course.” Stiv already has his phone out. “Let me know when we’re ready to go.”

“We’re still waiting on a pilot, but… It’ll be soon. And Stiv…” He has no idea how to put this into words, how to express the overwhelming relief of having someone else on his side in all this mess. So he settles for a terribly inadequate echo of his earlier statement: “Thanks.”

With a grim smile, Stiv nods. “Of course.” 

It's time to set things right. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
